AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday spoke about the failings of Kiran Kumar Reddy as CM, and the Congress party in the state in general. "If the captain of a team is inefficient, the team loses," ridiculed Asaduddin. "I have nothing but respect for INC president Sonia Gandhi, and, because of the communal behavior, the mistake, of one man, I have had to break my ties with the UPA govt. I will not attribute the sins of the CM to the whole party on the national level," he asserted.

Speaking on the arrest of his brother and MLA, Akbaruddin Owaisi, Asad said that it should be left to the court to pass judgement on Akbar's wrongdoings. "It is not for the media to put my brother on trial. We live in a democracy where the court is completely independant. We must have faith in its ability to provide justice. If Akbar has done something wrong, let the court decide."

Further, the MP accused the government and the media of measuring offences by different yadsticks for those belonging to different communities. "My brother has been booked under the lofty charge of section 121 - waging, or attempting to wage war, against the Government Of India. Now, you tell me. When Modi said that the carnage in Gujarat was 'reaction to action', no charge of 'waging a war against the nation' was put on him. Same was the case when the late Bal Thackeray likened Muslims to a cancer. Then, why is my brother being targeted?" he railed.

When asked whether he felt that the case was a result of his breaking the alliance with the Congress, he alleged that the measures being taken against Akbaruddin stemmed from a 'vindinctive attitude' towards his party, and that the Congress and BJP were intentionally 'harassing' their party.

Asaduddin also claimed that the Kiran Kumar government was sawing off the very branch it was sitting on by turning into an anti-people government. "Elections are in a year, and any ruling party would be smart enough to keep the people, and its allies, happy. Not only have the scholarship and Arogyasri schemes have been scrapped, but also, the levy of FSA is futher alienating the people," he asserted. "Now, you tell me," said Owaisi to his interviewer, "If you and I went to eat dum biryani at a restaurant, we finished eating it and paid the bill, how would it be if you get another bill adding another Rs. 4-500 to the existing bills?"

When asked about what the MIM's plans were for the upcoming elections, Asad said that the time hasn't come for allying with any party, and that personal friendship should be kept away from political decisions.

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